High Enough
by Mrs.Monster
Summary: He knew that if he acted on the feelings that were zapping through him, he couldn't be careless. Beth was just too good, and he cared about her too much. And Daryl did care for Beth, only now he Was thinking that it was a different kind of caring than he'd thought. Post S3.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing to The Walking Dead. No copyright infringement intended. **

**Author's Note: First 'Deth' fic, though I have written for TWD before. I've been into this pairing for awhile, and thought I'd contribute a little something. This is basically PWP, or as close as I can get to it. Pretty generic theme, but hey. Why not? Title is taken from the Damn Yankees song of the same name. I'm sorry, but Daryl loves hair metal and all of the power ballads that go with it and no one will ever, ever convince me other wise. He rocks **_**out **_**to Warrant when no one is looking. **

**High Enough**

Even with the mostly comfortable living arraignments their group had enjoyed for the past couple of years, supply runs were still necessary every once in a while. Children outgrew clothing, soap and the baking soda they used to clean their teeth would run low. They stockpiled and tried to think ahead as much as was allowed by various circumstance, but still. Needs had to be met.

Daryl Dixon glanced at the blond girl next to him. _Girl _wasn't really the right word anymore, really. In the years since the Governor had been taken out and their group had taken Woodbury, Beth Greene had grown into her own. Physically, she hadn't changed much- she'd been grown, mostly, when he'd first seen her at the farm- but she had an air of hard years and experience about her now. It really hadn't been until her daddy and sister had stopped treating her as if she were made of spun glass that Beth had found her footing and grew from teenager to adult.

She was sitting on the other side of the bench seat in the truck they were taking on their run, staring out the window, biting down on her lower lip.

"Don't think too hard. You'll give yourself a nosebleed."

Beth snorted but didn't look at him. "That supposed to be a blond joke?"

"You're the one who said it. Got the list?"

She nodded, pulling out the wrinkled scrap of paper covered in Carol's slanted writing.

"Basic stuff. Judith grew out of her shoes and none of the hand-me-downs will fit her yet. We're finally on our last few bars of Dial." Beth stuffed the list back into the pocket of her faded jeans. "You think we'll have to go far?"

"Can't say for sure. Maybe."

Beth nodded and propped her feet on the dashboard, slinking low in the seat. Most of the small towns surrounding Woodbury had been picked completely clean either during the Governor's years or by passing looters. They'd been having to go further and further away to get the things that they needed. Daryl planned on just seeing what they could find, hitting as many places as they could, basically scrounging for anything. Rick had leaned over a map with him the day before, pointing out likely towns and different areas. Daryl and Beth had left just before dawn, Beth leaving Judith in the care of the little girl's older brother.

"In that case, I'm going to rest my eyes for a little. Poke me if there's trouble." She made a little contented, relaxed noise, folding her arms across her chest.

**0-0-0**

Beth snored while Daryl drove and it took nearly three hours to find a town that hadn't been practically burned to the ground. Under normal circumstances it would have taken not even two hours to drive to Perry, but several times Daryl had been forced to take detours and maneuver around jammed up highways. Just as he drove passed the sign welcoming them to Perry (_Wisdom, Justice, Moderation_, read the Georgia state motto in white letters on the red, wooden sign) Daryl reached over and poked Beth in the ribs. She came-to with a little jolt, wiping a smear of drool from the side of her mouth.

"Rise and shine, Goldilocks."

Beth blinked at the bright mid-day sun that was now high in the sky. "How long was I out?"

"Couple hours. Snorin' like a damn chainsaw over there."

"I do not snore," she denied as she wiped sweat from her brow. It was late-July and the summer heat was in full swing.

"Uh-huh. Damn near gave me a migraine, you was bein' so loud." Daryl said, earning a shot in the shoulder from Beth. He just chuckled, her small fists curled again and he gave her a teasing look.

Downtown Perry was lined with shops; a florist, a supermarket, a few clothing stores, a natural food store, a sporting goods center and a vivid yellow Dollar General. Slightly separated from the town was a WalMart, but Daryl and Beth agreed to save it for last, figuring that it was already picked over. This was small-town America; in case of emergency, go to WalMart.

In the supermarket, the meats and produce were practically fossilized and most of the canned goods were gone, but they scooped up what was left along with a few sacks of rice and beans. They found shoes for Judith in one of the clothing stores and took what would be useful when winter came again. Seasons were harsh in Georgia and the winter was just as cold as summer was hot. The more frivolous things- makeup, jewelry, clothes made of anything other than durable cotton or denim- were passed over with barely a glance. Dollar General was a lost cause. Daryl sent Beth to check over the natural foods place while he went across the street to the sporting goods center after they dropped what loot they'd already found in the bed of the truck.

The obvious things were missing, like camping gear and the limited amount of weaponry the place would have carried. Still, Daryl found a few fleece-lined sleeping bags, and briefly considered grabbing some of the sports equipment, maybe a baseball mitt and ball, for Carl if he thought the kid would appreciate it. There were other kids at Woodbury, other boys Daryl was sure, but he didn't much notice them. They had their own families to keep them entertained.

Back at the truck, he eyed the plate glass front of the natural foods place Beth was in, considering whether he should go check on her or just wait. Daryl had just made up his mind to wait in the truck when Beth stumbled out of the store, covered in blood and innards. His heart slammed in his chest and didn't take the time to hook his crossbow from his shoulder before running to her. Beth's face was ghost white under the red and she had her knife clutched in a white-knuckle grip.

"What happened?" Daryl demanded, trying to see under the guts stuck to her front for scratches or bites.

"Walker," she spat, along with a red-tinted glob of phlegm. "Snuck up on me and had me on the ground before I could reach my knife. Gutted it before I could get up and get the brain." Beth wiped at her face, smearing the stagnant blood.

Daryl handed her the red shop rag he always carried. "You get some in your mouth?" He had no idea what would happen to her if she swallowed walker blood. That wasn't something they'd ever dealt with.

But Beth shook her head. "Bit my tongue when I hit the ground. Other than that, not a scratch," she assured him.

"We'll try and find someplace for you to clean up before heading on. Don't really want to be smelling you in the hot cab of that truck."

Beth spit on the rag and began wiping at her arms. "How considerate of you."

**0-0-0**

They ended up breaking into the local high-school and tracking down the locker rooms. She carried a clean stack of clothes that they'd taken from town and he checked the tiled room for walkers. Beth looked through a few lockers, finding shampoo and soap and a dusty towel and Daryl went and hauled himself up on a tiled shelf that was just around the corner from the showers. The water came on. Daryl looked up and realized his mistake.

The shelf he was sitting on was directly across from an enormous mirror. A mirror he could currently see Beth in as she danced away from the spray and started toeing her boots off. Daryl ran the hem of his shirt over his sweat slicked brow and told himself _not to_ but he looked up into that mirror anyway and found Beth pulling her shirt over her head. He knew that she didn't wear a bra, most of the women in their group didn't, and he'd have to be a damn blind man not to notice. That still didn't prepare him for the sight of Beth's bare tits, pale and pink-tipped. He swallowed thickly at the way her flat little belly stretched tight and over her ribs as she reached up and let her hair down. It fell in clumps around her shoulders, pieces of guts and gore staining the white-blond color. Daryl made himself look away when Beth popped the button on her jeans and he heard the metal hit the ground.

_Fuck_.

"Holy _shit _that's cold!" Beth yelled, and Daryl was assaulted with images of hard nipples and smooth, pale skin covered with goosebumps.

Daryl shifted where he sat, bit down on his thumbnail. His hard dick scraped against his zipper and he briefly entertained the thought of pushing his pants to his knees and taking the matter in hand. Fighting the urge to spiral into complete voyeurism, Daryl considered going next door to the second locker room for his own cold shower. Until she called for him.

"Daryl? Could you come here for a second?"

He automatically looked into the mirror and saw Beth with her back to him, trying to reach her shoulder blades. They were smeared with blood, where it must have pooled and soaked through her shirt. Her hair was lathered and piled on top of her head. Water and soap ran down Beth's back, cutting tracks through the dirt and gore. Daryl couldn't help but watch it complete it's journey and _damn it _but she had a perfect little ass.

_Don't even think about it, man_, Daryl thought even as he was sliding from his seat and rounding the corner. She was still trying to reach, a piece of ripped cloth balled in her hand.

"Whattya want?" It came out rougher than he'd meant, but Daryl could barely breathe. Lust was jumping in his gut and it burned in his mind.

"I can't reach and I can feel the... gick. Could you-?"

He was closer without making the conscious decision to move and she was so _close_. Light shined through the high, thick-glass window and patches of her wet skin were gleaming.

"But-" something caught in his throat.

"Look, I know. But, just- please?" She held the hand with the cloth out down by her side and he took it from her, Daryl's hand brushing her hip. They both jumped at the contact, and Daryl wanted to touch her again so he began rubbing small circles across her back and shoulder blades. Even through the cloth and under the icy-cold spray, Beth's skin felt warm and soft and Daryl asked himself _what the fuck are you doing?_

It wasn't common knowledge that Daryl really had no experience with women. Carol knew because she was his best friend and Michonne had guessed, but she was almost as observant as Daryl himself was. He noticed and appreciated women just as much as the next guy, but Daryl never knew what to do. He didn't know how to _talk _to women without sounding like an asshole unless they were firmly rooted in the friend or relative territory. Any experience that he did have was with what he thought of as Merle's type. Where talking didn't matter much and touches were quick and rushed in bathroom stalls of whatever bar they were drinking at.

He thought that Beth was in the _friend _area but he couldn't deny that she was fucking beautiful as he chased soap suds down her back with a ragged, thin cloth. It had been so damn _long _since he'd touched a woman any further than a friendly pat, or when Carol occasionally hugged him but neither Daryl or Carol were really very tactile people. Both for reasons of their own which came very close to being the _same _reasons. And he knew that if he acted on the feelings that were zapping through him, he couldn't be careless. Beth was just too damn good, and he cared about her too damn much. And Daryl _did _care for Beth, only now he was thinking that it was a different type of caring than he'd thought.

Water ran clear over her bent neck and down her back and Daryl took a half step back. "All done," he said, voice hoarse.

Suddenly, she turned around. Caught off guard, Daryl shuffled back a little further, but Beth didn't seem to notice as she tipped her head back under the spray, rinsing shampoo from her hair. He was still close enough that her movements were getting him wet and he couldn't help but wonder if _she _was wet too, only in a completely different way. Daryl really wanted to find out. Eyes lowered he watched his hand as he reached up and touched the soft skin of her belly. Beth gasped and her head snapped up, Daryl's eyes flickering to her face, meeting her gaze.

He expected her expression to be one of shock, and he'd even prepared himself for disgust. What he found instead was curiosity, welcome, and, if he wasn't wrong just a little smugness. _Oh_. Now he understood.

Beth reached up and touched his face, fingertips brushing over his temple and down the curve of his jaw and Daryl leaned into her hand. She was the one who brought him in, pushed up a little and their mouths met. Just barely touching at first but they soon fixed that, Beth's wet body pressed against his, Daryl's hand still between them on her stomach.

Daryl walked them back, through the cold spray, until her back met the tile wall. She was all warm, soft and willing, hooking her leg around his hip and Daryl knew then that she was probably more experienced than he was. He still felt the need to ask, though, because while he'd made up his mind to make this connection to Beth, if it was her first time, fucking her up against a dirty locker room wall was out of the question.

Beth smiled, twining her fingers in her hair. "No, I've had sex before."

"With who? Jimmy?"

Sadness, just barely there, flashed across her face. Daryl called himself an idiot, but Beth shook her head. "Not him."

He dropped it, kissed her again but broke it so he could lean back and pull his shirt over his head. Daryl had no patience for buttons just then and didn't want to ruin a good shirt. Her tits were practically flattened against his chest, Daryl leaned into her so hard, and this time his kiss was bruising, leaving her mouth swollen and red. He liked the look on her and knew it wouldn't be the last time he saw it.

Fingers were sure on his belt and the button of his pants as Beth worked them and Daryl moaned with relief when she lowered his zipper. They slipped low on his hips as he grabbed her other thigh and lifted her, and Beth took the hint, wrapping her legs tightly around him. He could feel her, hot and just so _wet _and right there but he didn't want to rush this. Daryl slipped his hand from her belly to her waist, easing her back so she leaned against the wall, blessing his with the sight of her upper half stretched and laid bare for him. With his hand supporting her on her lower back just above her ass, Daryl dipped his head and ran the flat of his tongue over her hard, pink nipple.

"_Oh_." It was a tiny little sound but it spurred him on just the same. Beth's fingers threaded into his wet hair as he latched on to that breast, flicking and sucking. She moved against him, the heat of her against his belly where the sparse, dark hair began and he knew the friction had to feel good. But then she stopped and reached down, between them and took his cock into her hand and Daryl almost came right there. It'd been _years _since anyone, other than himself, had touched him, and even then those women didn't excite him with nearly feather soft movements that steadily grew tighter and more intense.

Daryl pulled away from her breast, resting his head against her as he looked down to where she was stroking his dick, her small hand just barely wrapped around him, moving, twisting, with intent.

"You gotta stop that, baby," he said as he pushed her hand away. She smiled a little and kissed his mouth. Daryl's hands ran down, cupping her ass, as he pushed himself against her, feeling her sweet, wet pussy against his dick. He wanted to just sink into her so badly, but then realization slammed into him and Daryl pulled his head back with a curse.

"We don't have any protection," he said between clenched teeth. He wanted her so badly he was practically vibrating with it, but he wasn't about to bring anymore babies in a world gone to hell.

Beth shushed him, kissed the side of his neck. "It's alright," she said against his skin. "It won't be a problem for me."

"Whattya mean?"

"I mean, I can't get pregnant, so drop it." She pulled back now, leaned her head against the grimy white tile wall. Beth's face was scrunched in annoyance, and Daryl leaned in to lick up her collar bone, trying to bring her back into the moment.

It worked, her face smoothed out and she said, "Sorry. Just- it won't be a problem, alright?"

"Hey-okay." Daryl gave her another little lick and then took his dick in his hand and looked down to watch himself sliding into her.

Beth let out a shaky breath and Daryl gave a quiet "_fuck_" at the feel of her, tight and hot around him. Both hands went back to her ass and when he moved a little, her eyes flew open and found his.

"I don't think I can hold back," he warned her, already feeling the need to slam into her pussy, to make her whimper and yell.

Bright blue eyes blazed. "Bring it," she said with a tiny smirk.

Hands curled into his broad shoulders, nails biting into the skin and Daryl leaned back for leverage as he pulled nearly completely out and slammed back in hard enough that her back made a little wet _smack _against the tile. If this hadn't been their first time together, he'd turn her around and fuck her until her feet left the ground and her face was pressed against the wall, but he wanted to _look _at her. He wanted to see her face as she came around him, and the delicious little _O _her mouth made every time he shoved his cock into her.

Daryl was fascinated with the way his dick disappeared into her perfect body and he gripped her ass tighter, pulling her into him with every thrust. Beth's blond hair was plastered to the wall behind her, sticking in little clumps to her neck and shoulders, running across her face as she tried to move with Daryl and against him, but he was holding her too tightly.

The low, breathy "_ah, ah, ah,_" coming from Beth and the feel of her _tightening _around him let Daryl know that she was close and _fuck _but he was too. He pressed his face into her neck and their bodies together as Beth came and Daryl's entire form shook against her not long after. He rested heavy against her for a moment before pulling out and letting her feet touch the floor. Beth brought him down for another deep kiss, keeping her wide eyes on his own sharp blue.

She bit down on her lip, and Daryl knew what was coming next. She would either tell him that this was a one-time thing, and he could never tell anyone about it, or she would expect him to make with the emotional conversation.

Daryl should have known Beth better. "Don't go thinking that was a one time thing."

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "I wasn't."

"That's real good. Because I like you, Daryl. And I'm not expecting you to settle, or make an honest woman out of me or anything like that."

Daryl barely held back the, "_Good_," that was on the tip of his tongue, because he thought that he might be feeling something beyond lust for her too, but he wasn't about to turn into Glenn with the whole domestic thing.

"You're a good man, and I would like to see this thing between us follow it's natural course."

He nodded, agreeing, but he was mostly preoccupied with how good she looked standing there naked with that serious, determined expression on her face. Beth grinned, kissed him again, and then moved to shut off the water. Daryl hitched his pants up his hips and did his belt, fishing around on the wet floor for his shirt. His socks were wet in his boots and they squished with every move but unlike Beth he didn't have anything to change into. Watching her as she dried off with the old, rough towel then bend over to pull on a pair of jeans, commando, Daryl felt his mouth go dry again. Beth looked at him over her shoulder, turned to face him, tits bouncing as she pulled her hair up. He knew he wasn't misreading the hungry look in her eyes as they raked over his bare chest, lingering on the ink and skating over the scars.

Daryl thought this girl might just be the death of him, but what a way to go.


End file.
